Thick skin on the beauty beat

While most Twin Cities stylists spent their Monday off at the first P & G sponsored "beauty summit" at the Walker (if your hairstylist is singing the praises of Pantene, you'll know why), I was at Root Salon in St. Paul orchestrating makeovers for the three "real women" (as opposed to models) who are posing for my spring fashion spread in the St. Paul Pioneer Press (see it on Sunday, April 15). It's amazing what a fresh cut and color can do for a girl's self image.

But let's talk about me.

As I was complimenting Root owner Jim Koktavy for his brilliant work on one of the girls, he said to me "You're next." And here I thought I was having a decent hair day. I had to dash, as I was scheduled to speak to a women's group. "Not until I get rid of that fuzz," Jim retorted. Fuzz? My hair was fuzzy? Five minutes under his hair dryer and round brush and my hair looked entirely sleeker, which was, frankly depressing. I can never get it to look like that, no matter how long I spend and what products I use. Jim's suggestion: one of his stylists does an amazing blow out for $20. He's the second person this month to tell me I should consider regular blowouts, which could last a week on my dry hair.

What am I, my grandmother? Come to think of it, maybe Gram had the right idea.